Learning Together
by Golem XIV
Summary: One-shot. A birthday present for my friend Bearhow! Drake, Gar and Richard have been wounded in a nasty showdown and are being cared for by their concerned (and angry!) spouses, just before they receive an unwelcome visitor.


**Author's Note:** A birthday present for my friend Bearhow! The OCs mentioned here are his!

-=oOo=-

 **Learning Together**

Kole bit her lip, ignoring the soft background murmur of pain-filled groans that pervaded the infirmary. Her eyes were riveted on her unconscious husband while concern, fear and anger battled for dominance over her soul.

She shifted the sleeping form of their daughter carefully and hugged her tighter. As much as the comforting feeling of the small, warm body in her arms filled her with love and joy, it also fueled up the anger that simmered inside her, making her jaw muscles bunch up. If Drake thought a legion of demons was dangerous and frightening, he still had a lot to learn.

She would enlighten him with pleasure.

"I don't think it's a good idea, little sis…" Cyborg's voice floated over, pulling her away from those thoughts. She turned around to look behind her, where the half-metal giant was trying to talk sense into Raven.

"Go away, Victor," she hissed softly, her eyes already tinting red. It was an incongruous scene; the six-foot-eight man-machine towered over the small, fragile-looking sorceress, but it was obvious that Cyborg was the one being intimidated. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender and took a step back.

"Just concerned, Rae. You're far too advanced to exhaust yourself like that!" he grumbled. The red faded from Raven's eyes and she took in a deep breath, calming herself. A small smile lit up her features.

"Don't worry. I know how far I can push myself," she said, her hand caressing the swollen belly where her baby grew, due to be born in just a few weeks now. Then the smile faded and her eyes hardened as she turned them to her husband, asleep on the infirmary bed, knocked out by large amounts of anesthetics. "It's an achievement not everyone present can boast of!" she growled as she glared at the prone green changeling.

Raven's hands shone with healing magic as she moved them over Garfield's body. A pained whimper escaped her lips when she finished and she staggered, but Cyborg's hand shot forward to steady and support her.

She cast a guilty glance at his scowling face. "OK, so I overdid it a little." Her eyes went over the deep dents and rents gouged in the incredibly tough titanium-alloy armor by unearthly claws. Parts of it were bent and ripped, and in a couple of places small sparks flashed and crackled quietly.

"Go and fix yourself, Victor. Everyone's stable and there's not much else you can do for now," Raven commanded in her best it's-not-open-to-discussion voice.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Kole interrupted him. "Can you put Chloe in her crib, please? I'd like to stay a while longer with Drake."

He frowned at the girls, but realized he was vastly overmatched in this battle. He took the baby in his huge hands and carried her carefully to her room.

Raven turned to Starfire and Nightwing and waddled over. Nightwing was sitting up, his right arm bandaged and slung over his chest while Starfire stood in front of him. Little Mar'i sat beside her father, taking everything in with the wide-eyed, innocent curiosity of a four-year-old.

Raven touched Starfire's shoulder. "How is he?" she asked.

"He is well enough," Starfire replied in an unusually cold tone as she turned and lifted her arm, blocking Raven from approaching Nightwing.

"You shall not attempt the healing on him, friend Raven!" she stated with finality, her green eyes aflame. "I shall not risk the harm to your _bumgorf_ to improve his state. He needs to learn the consequences of the actions he takes!"

Nightwing frowned. "I was only trying to protect you, Kori –"

"Do I have the looks of needing the protection?" Starfire whirled around to face him furiously. "I have much more of the resistance to damage than you do, and you have the full knowledge of the fact!"

She grabbed him under his good arm and helped him up. "Take Mar'i to our quarters. I shall join you promptly to hear your explanation of why you had the behavior of a _clorbag!_ "

Nightwing winced, chuckled wanly and left, holding his daughter's hand as she floated beside him, already starting on the million-and-one questions she had.

The two girls approached Kole. Starfire hugged her fiercely, while Raven examined the unconscious dragon knight.

"I'm sorry, Kole. I can't help him. He's immune to my magic, even if it's for healing."

"It's… OK, Rae. He'll heal himself with the gem, I just have to wait until he wakes up."

Raven nodded. Once Drake was conscious again he could channel his power through the gem he wore on a chain around his neck and make short work of his wounds. But until then, he remained heavily injured and still in danger.

They stood still, watching him for a few seconds, then Raven caught Starfire's eye. The alien nodded slightly.

"I'm, uh, going to look for something to eat," Raven lied unconvincingly. "If you need anything just call us, OK?"

"I shall come with you, friend Raven! You will be all right by yourself, friend Kole?"

"I'll be fine," Kole replied with an affectionate smile on her lips. "You two get some rest. We all need to be –"

The temperature in the room dropped suddenly and their breath misted. All three turned to where the blast of cold came, scowling. A sharply-dressed man stood there with a charming grin on his face, undaunted by the triple death-glare that skewered him.

"Last time someone looked at me like that I got laid," he purred in a silky voice. "All three of you? I do love a good orgy!" His eyes slid over the three girls and ended on Raven's swollen belly. "Kinky!"

Raven's eyes split double, burning red. She stepped menacingly forward, but a small hand caught her forearm and restrained her.

"He's baiting you," Kole spoke quietly. "Don't give him the satisfaction." The fire in Raven's eyes faded and they returned to normal. She glanced at Kole and gave her a tiny, grateful smile.

Kole turned her attention back at the unwelcome guest. "What is it, Landon?" she growled at him. "You're not welcome here!"

Landon placed the back of his left hand against his forehead, while his right hand clutched at his chest. "I say, I am devastated!" he cried in a broken voice. "Shunned and misunderstood, that's what I am! A poor demon just looking for love and tenderness!" He suddenly leered at the trio. "And sex, wherever I can find it!"

"Please express the need that you have and then misplace yourself!" Starfire said coldly, her eyes glowing with a vicious green flame.

"Oh, I don't think it's a good idea to do that, my dear," he chuckled at her. "There would be absolutely _dreadful_ consequences in Hell if its King suddenly 'got lost'!"

He smirked at the hostility the three girls were radiating his way, then his face got serious and his eyes frosted. "I need Drake. Wake him up and make him heal himself. There is not much time."

"No," Kole replied simply, but sharp-edged crystals grew from her clenched fists. Starfire floated up, her eyes burning, a neon mist gathering around her hands. Black tentacles uncoiled from Raven's back and swayed menacingly. "What more do you _want,_ you bastard? They've just returned from cleaning up _your_ mess and getting severely wounded on _your_ behalf!" she shouted, her eyes tinting red again.

All remainder of joviality dropped from the demon's face. "It was your father's minions they were up against, Trigon spawn!" he sneered at Raven. "Who do you think is really the one to blame here?"

" _Enough!_ " Kole shouted. "You can't have him!"

Landon's eyes darkened into a lightless, lifeless black. "Are you going to stop me, little girl?" he hissed, his voice clawing and tearing painfully at the ears.

"We all are," Raven and Starfire closed ranks with Kole. "Leave. _Now._ "

Landon snarled at them. He seldom lost his patience with mortals, but the situation was pressing down hard on him and it was showing, not that the girls would understand it. They only knew they were facing an angry demon, but they also knew they were defending their home, their loved ones, their children.

Landon pulled himself together with difficulty. He had made a mistake and mishandled the encounter. It just came to show how bad everything was going; as opposed to Trigon, he had a preference for doing things by careful manipulation and background dealings, not by brute force. Still, one did not become King of Hell without having a certain amount of raw power at one's disposal. He could brush away the three females easily, but their own power was far from insignificant and it meant that any confrontation with them would invariably end up with certain casualties. He could not afford that, especially when it came to Trigon's daughter, in whose brood he – and others – were most interested.

The snarl faded from his face and his eyes returned to normal. "Now, now, girls. Let us not fight. I prefer to make love, not war!"

"Just go away, Landon!" Kole dismissed him icily.

"Your loss, my darlings!" he said with another charming grin and evaporated. His mind was already hard at work looking for an appropriate temporary replacement for Drake. The one-eyed mercenary, perhaps, or the girl with the blades…

The three women sighed in relief as one. Raven flinched and her hand caressed her belly. The other two noticed the gesture and exchanged glances. Starfire nodded at Kole, took Raven under her arm and led her out of the infirmary.

Kole watched them leave, then a muted groan made her whirl around and walk quickly over to Drake. He was already propped on an elbow and struggling to get up, a wince of pain creasing his features.

She pushed him back on the bed remorselessly and waved her hand, creating two large crystal rings that curled around him and the bed, effectively tying him up and immobilizing him, preventing any further attempts at getting up.

"Where the Hell do you think you're going?" she asked coldly.

"Let me go, woman!" he growled at her. "This is far from over! I must find Landon and -"

"No! You must lie back and heal!" she said, her voice rising. "You had quite enough fun for the next three months!"

"You don't understand, Kole! I have to –"

"Don't you _dare_ say it!" she shouted. "What you have to do is be a father to your daughter! Not to go running around like Landon's trained pet, putting your life in danger to fix his problems!"

"But I –"

"But nothing!" she went on, enraged. "I've had enough of Landon and of your lack of responsibility!"

"Kole, it's my duty…"

Her eyes turned icy. She dismissed the crystals that were imprisoning him and stood back.

"Your duty?" she whispered. "I just hope you understand where your real duty lies."

He rose to a sitting position with a groan. His hand went to the teal jewel and he closed his eyes, focusing his power. A nimbus enveloped him as his wounds closed.

Feeling that the healing process was complete, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Kole…"

She avoided his gaze. "If you go after Landon, don't bother coming back!" she said and walked out of the infirmary.

He tried to get to his feet and go after her, but a dizzy spell almost made him fall. "Wait!" he croaked hoarsely, sitting heavily back on the bed and lifting a hand to try and stop her.

She heard him and turned. Her anger was immediately swept away by a flood of concern. She hurried back and took his offered hand. "Are you OK?"

"A moment," he whispered, fighting the dizziness. He shook his head, clearing it, then lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes.

"It's not for him." His voice was now much stronger. "I'm not doing it for him."

"Drake…"

"He's my friend, Kole. As much as he's a demon, he's my friend," his eyes held her captive and silent, barely able to breathe. "But I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it for you, and for Chloe. I want you… both of you… I want you to live in a better world. A place without fear, without pain."

She managed to break the spell of his gaze, rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's not only that, is it?" she asked quietly.

He looked away. Suddenly she understood and her eyes widened.

"You are afraid… Drake, what do you fear?"

He looked back at her and opened his mouth, trying to speak.

"I… I've never… I don't know how!"

She felt a sweet pain scythe through her at his confession. The trust that he had in her to say something like that… Her eyes closed as she fought the burning joy that made her breathless.

After a few moments she opened her eyes and looked at him again.

"We'll learn together," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck, bent her head and planted a small, warm kiss on his lips. It surprised him for a moment, but he recovered quickly and returned it just as tenderly.

Slowly their kiss warmed, then heated up and then blazed. She pushed him back on the bed and climbed over him without breaking lip contact. Finally they had to pull apart just to be able to breathe.

"It won't… be easy," he gasped between heavy breaths. "You know how stubborn I can get."

She waved and a crystal barrier appeared over the infirmary door.

"Mmmm. I do," she purred, her eyes shining. "But I think I know how to convince you."


End file.
